A variety of container closures have been developed or proposed wherein an initial opening of a lid or a dispensing spout structure provides visual evidence of such an occurrence.
See, for example, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,324 and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,592 which are assigned to Seaquist Closures, Crystal Lake, Ill., U.S.A. The closures disclosed in these patents incorporate a plurality of frangible webs molded from the same material as the closure lid and body so as to initially connect the closure lid to the body in the closed position. To initially open the closure, the user must break the frangible webs by pushing or pulling on a member that is connected to, and which is adjacent to, the frangible webs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,931 discloses a closure in which a central lid is recessed flush with the peripheral top of the closure base and in which both the peripheral top of the closure base and the recessed lid are covered with an adhesively secured disk which must be torn off to permit opening of the lid.
While these closures can function generally satisfactorily for the purposes for which they have been designed, it would be desirable to provide an improved tamper-evident closure which could furnish a clear indication that the closure has been initially opened and which, prior to the initial opening, could blend in with, or enhance, the cosmetic appearance of the closure.
Further, it would be advantageous if such an improved closure could be initially opened relatively easily by the user.
It would also be beneficial if such an improved closure could be adapted for use on a variety of dispensing closure designs, such as the press-to-open pivoting nozzle type and such as the type having a base defining a dispensing orifice which is occluded by a hinged lid.
It would also be desirable to provide an improved tamper-evident closure design wherein a portion of the closure could be easily, and completely, removed for use as a "proof-of-purchase" panel or label.
Additionally, another salutary feature of such an improved closure would be the capability to accommodate the fabrication of the tamper-indicating panel from suitable materials that could be different from, or the same as, the material or materials employed in the rest of the closure. This would permit the panel to have a color different from the rest of the closure.
The present invention provides an improved closure which can accommodate designs having the above-discussed benefits and features.